RomanPunks is a retrofuturistic, cyberpunk derivative world-building project inspired by fine art, history and the cryptopunk movement.
A total of 1,000 RomanPunk characters have been frozen in time and minted as Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) on the Ethereum, WAX, Polygon and Algorand blockchains.
RomanPunk characters are comprised of commoners and famous individuals based on Roman history, art history and pop culture.
The basis for RomanPunk lore and backstories is exhaustively researched by history/sci-fi buff and co-founder, Punktavian.
All images are drawn by hand by woman artist and co-founder, Cleopunktra, without the aid of AI or generative tools.
RomanPunks came into existence through early minting on OpenSea, promoting on Twitter and building a Discord community through giveaways and engagement. The idea of a cyberpunk-derivative ‘RomanPunk’ theme was in our heads for years, but it was the success of the Cryptopunks that became the catalyst for project conception and launch.
After a hard working first 60 days spent networking and attracting new collectors to RomanPunks, our community had begun to flourish and sales increased. We began to offer our collectors an opportunity to battle their NFTs in a tournament bracket powered by dice rolls.
Encouraged by the tight knit community and the carbon-neutral blockchain with lightning fast and low cost transactions, we launched 'romanpunksio' collection on WAX Blockchain as the first step to expand the backstories of our RomanPunk characters and the baseline for future development of a card game.
RomanPunks integrated with Chainlink Labs to utilize VRF (Verified Randomness Function) to host a giveaway raffle for our holders. We developed a smart contract on Ethereum which guarantees true random number selection on chain and can be used for a wide range of functions that require random selection.
After much anticipation in the community, we released our first WAX NFT card 'pack' through the Neftyblocks platform, which sold out in less than a week.
We launched our Twitch channel and begun building an audience by offering numerous giveaways of WAX NFTs from our collection, as well as giving participants a chance to win RomanPunk ETH NFT airdrops for taking top spot at the end of the 'season'.
As firm believers in a metaverse future and land owners in The Sandbox, we undertook to build the RomanPunk Colosseum on 1x1 land and entered our experience "Gladiator Bloodsport" into a GameJam contest. We will continue to build the Colosseum into a PVP arena and social hub once The Sandbox offers creators the ability to do so.
Thanks to the user friendly tools offered by NeftyBlocks, we launched a comprehensive blending system on WAX, allowing our collectors to blend the common NFTs they earn in our Discord RPG up into Legendary famous NFTs through the use of blending 'coins' that can also be earned on the Discord as reward for helping to promote the RomanPunks project.
We launched the VX collection on Polygon. Each owner of an ETH NFT gets their voxel equivalent airdropped to them, and these NFTs can be redeemed for official NFTs on The Sandbox Marketplace once available.
All 1,000 original, unique 1:1 RomanPunk characters hand drawn by Cleopunktra and minted on OpenSea.
The RomanPunk WAX NFT Trading Card Fighter Pack Series II consists of 3 NFTs randomly selected from over 236 characters.
Upcoming plans for RomanPunks include:
Below is a comprehensive and searchable directory of all 1,000 RomanPunk Characters.
Born 351 BC in Hecatompylos, Roxane had a promising career as a concubine of Alexander the Great before she was kidnapped by time traffickers and whisked to a Romanesque 20th century AD alternate dimension and forced to fight as a shopping mall gladiator.
Born 67 BC in Pella, Aris is Cicero’s true executioner—though the history books credit the deed to Marc Antony’s lackeys. His mind is controlled by a cabal of cyborg Illuminati engaged in time manipulation. Once it was decided Cicero knew too much and had to be extinguished, the cyborgs bent Aris to their will, using his executioner’s axe as the perfect instrument to silence a threat that could have upended their interdimensional dominion.
Born 191 BC in Scodra, Kthjellime was a concubine of the defeated king Gentius who disguised herself as a guard captain to avoid capture by the Romans.
Born 1932 AD in Gordium, Peter is a disreputable yet high-priced criminal defense attorney for the Interdimensional Time Court. He is infamous for his involvement in controversial and high-profile cases, often exonerating culpable clients through dubious means such as evidence tampering, witness elimination, judicial bribery, and jury intimidation.
Born 2185 AD in Corduba, Xylo is an interdimensional RTS gaming prodigy and former techno-slave who hacked his way to freedom. Cocky and self-absorbed, Xylo lived only for the thrill of the game until a rebellion led by a cloned Hannibal Barca tried to recruit him in the fight against the cyborg Emperor Caligula. Not wanting to jeopardize his lucrative career, he refused, until a scandal contrived by a corrupt governor shattered his reputation. Now, with nothing left to lose, Xylo reluctantly joins the fight, piloting a Xena-class mech in the battle for Neo-Carthage. Xylo plays by his own rules, driven less by loyalty than by the thrill of proving that the system is his to control—and burn.
Born in 168 BC in Patara, Ulix and his sister Anteia were recalcitrant grave robbers who discovered an interdimensional portal in the Harpy Tomb and were transported to an atomic age parallel universe where they were captured and forced to fight as gladiators.
Born 2145 AD in Luxor-Thebes, Ram is a degenerate carnie who operates the “Daedalus Drop” carnival ride at the midway in the Neo-Carthage souk. This tower—a thrilling descent emulating the mythic fall of Icarus—has become a premier attraction under his management. Unbeknownst to Ram, a conspiracy is unfolding to sabotage his ride; nefarious actors intend to orchestrate a fatal malfunction to assassinate a prominent individual, placing him unwittingly at the heart of a dangerous plot.
Born 55 BC in Babylon, Shamma is a gifted lyre player who was abducted by time traffickers, brainwashed and forced to perform in a karaoke band in 26th century AD Neo-Byzantium.
Born 2015 AD in Cagliari, Sienna is a free-spirited navigator with a deep love for the sea and folklore. Seeking adventure beyond her coastal roots, she joined her lover, Kael Adrien, on a voyage across the Tyrrhenian Sea. An interdimensional whirlpool transported them to an alternate Roman realm ruled by sentient apes. In this bewildering world, Sienna must rely on her courage and resourcefulness to navigate a society where humans are oppressed. Forming secret alliances and using her knowledge of ancient lore, she challenges the dominant ape hierarchy alongside Kael, striving to survive and find a path back home.
Born 2178 AD in Toletum, Velia is a descendant of King Alaric I, though she finds that about as useful in Neo-Carthage as a souvenir from a forgotten war. A wealthy socialite with a penchant for the morbid, Velia moves through the city’s elite circles with detached amusement. While rebellions and smuggling rings swirl around her, she drifts through it all, unintentionally entangling herself in minor scandals—never quite realizing how close she comes to chaos.
Born in 222 AD in Burdigala, Tilda grew up as a rebellious youth, often staying out all night fighting and reveling in the streets. One night she was picked up by a gang of time traffickers who pressed her into service as a gladiator in the 28th century. She made it her mission to return home to her grieving family.
Born in 2261 AD in Seia, Sennian spent his youth piloting luxury space liners alongside his father, traveling the solar system in opulence. When his parents were brutally murdered by cyborg mafia assassins, he inherited a modest fortune but was left driven by vengeance. Now a charismatic cyberchariot racer in the Hypodrome, Sennian channels his skill and swagger to win the crowd’s favor while secretly funding a Lusitanian independence movement led by a clone of the ancient revolutionary leader Viriathus.
Born 70 AD in Aventicum, Jo is a passionate baker and trailblazing founder of the interdimensional cupcake franchise known as “The Swiss Miss”, whose beloved products are mass produced and enjoyed infinitely across space and time.
Born in 157 AD in Singidunum to a patrician family with an abusive father, Bruttia fled to Asia as a teenager to where she learned the way of the samurai. On her return home, she was captured and forced to fight as a gladiator in Pula.
Born 49 AD in Virunum, Valentin is a common soldier and timid husband of Acca who lived in the shadow of his wife until she was killed defending Emperor Domitian from assassins; henceforth, Valentin vowed revenge on those responsible for her death.
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romanpunks@protonmail.ch
Registered in Ontario, Canada
